Ski pole handle

ABSTRACT

A handle for a ski pole includes an elongate handle stem and hand gripping material secured to the handle stem. The handle stem defines a head portion configured to accommodate and secure a strap thereto, and a longitudinal portion extending from below the head portion that defines opposed, elongate slots extending along at least a portion of the length thereof. The hand gripping material is secured to the longitudinal portion and engages the opposed slots.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Soft liner material such as cork for use on pole handles are usuallyshaped for accommodation to the user's hand. Hitherto it has been commonto form unitary cork handles and attach such cork handles directly tothe poles. Typically, the cork handles are formed with a circularcylindrical bore and are glued directly to the upper end of the poles.

As known, cork is a material well suited for ski pole handles, due toits light weight, soft feel, and good friction and heat insulatingproperties.

Further it is known to use a handle top formed of plastic, which formsan attachment for a strap. The handle top is glued to the pole tube andis shaped such that smooth transitions to the cork handle are provided.The manufacture of a pole having such a handle is carried out in thatthe cork handle initially is threaded down on the pole tube to apreliminary position lower than that where the cork handle is to bepositioned. Thereupon the handle top is glued to the upper end of thepole tube with melting adhesive. Epoxy adhesive is applied on the topportion of the pole tube and the cork handle is shifted upwardly to itsfinal position and thereby secured by the adhesive. The use of meltingadhesive on the pole tube and the handle top is not an easy process. Acork handle subjected to excessive wear or damage must be removed and isoften destroyed during removal. The pole must be “cleaned” of corkmaterial before a new handle can be fitted. This is a cumbersome andtime consuming process, whereby the pole may be damaged.

In order to simplify replacement of the cork handle, it may be gluedexternally on a handle stem formed of plastic which surrounds the upperend of the pole tube and includes a handle top for attachment of astrap. Replacement can be performed by replacing both the handle stemand the cork handle.

For cross-country skiers, it is of importance that the pole handle hasas little width as possible in the gripping area. The smallestachievable width is the diameter of the upper end of the pole tube. Itis, however, desirable to have a coating of a soft liner material, suchas cork, externally on the handle. The coating must have a certainminimum thickness in order to have some effect or in order not to burst.Another object is that the handle should have as low weight as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a device which is characterized in thatthe stem mainly covers only forward and rearward portions along agripping area of the handle, whereby the stem along a longitudinalportion or gripping area of the handle is defined by two elongatedportions having internal surfaces adapted to the shape of the pole, andwhereby two longitudinal slots or openings in the stem are definedbetween these portions.

Thus, the stem is shaped so that it can accommodate members of a handgripping, soft liner material which forms the external surface of thestem in the area below a head portion of the handle. The stem has slotsor openings along each side, whereby the pole tube is exposed in theseopenings. Thus, the liner material lies directly against the pole tubein these openings, and the width of the handle corresponds to thediameter of the pole tube in addition to twice the thickness of theliner material.

Besides cork, the liner material may be plastic, rubber or any otherliner material that would be approved to one skilled in the art.

Because the stem has a non-circular exterior cross-sectional shape, theuse of a unitary sleeve of cork is not desirable, because no circularbore is to be drilled therein. A bore having a non-circular crosssection will have to be machined in a different manner than by drilling.In order to avoid this, two halves of liner material can be used.

Cutting of two such halves can be avoided in that, instead of commoncork material, members formed by pressing and glueing together corkgranules can be used. This may be performed by a process similar tosintering of metal. Such a process makes it simpler to provide corkparts having a desired shape than by cutting a solid cork workpiece.

Whether common cork material or pressed and glued cork granules areused, cork members having a desired shape can be formed and attached tothe stem. It is desirable to provide two cork members, which are fittedon either side of the stem, and preferably such that the cork membersadjoin each other in a dividing plane on the front and rear of the stem.The cork members may be glued to the stem in the portions where theycover it, i.e., to the exterior of the elongated portions of the stem.

Thus, the stem has a front and rear elongated portion in the grippingarea of the handle, and these portions may have generallycrescent-shaped cross-sectional areas. Between these portions, whichform a pair of bars, the stem has a continuous, elongated opening alongeach side.

The invention will be explained in detail below, with reference to theaccompanying drawing, showing a stem adapted to be fastened to a skipole and fitted with a hand gripping material, soft cover in grippingarea.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a handle stem of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handle of the present invention withhand gripping material secured to the handle stem; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the longitudinal portion of thehandle stem taken along line AA—AA in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The top of the stem has a head portion 1, to which a strap 2 can beattached. The head portion 1 may be formed with a throughgoing opening(not shown in the drawings), through which the strap 2 can be threadedfrom below so that the ends of the strap protrude upwardly from thehead. When the strap has a suitable effective length for the user inquestion, the strap is locked by a wedge which is inserted in the head1. The wedge is pressed down into the opening to be fitted therein. Thestrap extends down from the head 1 from the lower right part thereof, asshown in FIG. 1. For adjustment of the effective length of the strap,the wedge can be pulled up from the opening. The wedge may have spikesor ribs for locking of the strap. It will, however, be appreciated thatthe stem does not have to comprise a head with means for adjustment ofthe strap length. The strap may be permanently fastened and have aconstant effective length or be adjustable by other means than a lockingwedge, for instance a buckle oh the strap. Of course, another type ofstrap than the one shown can be used, for instance, a strap with a wideband, which may be divided and is joined by hook and loop fastenerelements. The strap and the fitting thereof does not comprise anythingsubstantial of the present invention.

The head portion 1 is in the lower part delimited by a curved edge 7,against which the cork members or hand gripping material 10 are to lie.From the head 1 extend a longitudinal portion defined by two elongatedportions 3 and 4, which in the lower part pass into a somewhat oval endportion 6 delimited upwardly by an edge 8 against which the cork members10 will be lying. Thus, elongated slots 11, 12 between the portions 3and 4 are defined. The interior of the longitudinal portions 3 and 4 andthe end portion 6 will after fitting on a pole tube be lying against theexterior of the pole tube. For correct fitting on a pole tube the stemhas a transverse wall 5, being in abutment against the top of the poletube when the stem has been pushed down on it. In order to simplifycorrect fitting of two cork members 10 on the stem, one elongatedportion 3 has an external rib 9 integral with the had 1, and the corkmembers 10, having recesses for accommodating the rib, are fittedagainst a respective side of this rib, whereby the cork members 10 willbe lying in mutual abutment outside of the rib 9. The stem issymmetrical about a middle plane through the rib 9, and the cork members10 are mirror images of each other. The rib 9 will during use of thepole be facing in the direction of movement.

Because the elongated portions 3 and 4 delimit slots 11, 12 where thepole tube is exposed, the cork members 10 will be lying directly againsthe pole tube in these slots 11, 12. Thus, the elongated portions 3 and 4form “linings” between the pole tube and the cork members 10. Theelongated portions 3 and 4 may be bar shaped, have generally crescentshaped cross-sectional areas, whereby their longitudinal edges arepointed in order to form a smooth transition between the elongatedportions 3 and 4 and the surface of the pole tube which is exposed inthe slots 11, 12 therebetween. When the cork members 10 have anapproximately constant wall thickness along most of the portions 3 and4, the gripping portion as a whole will have an oval cross section.

It will also be appreciated that the soft liner material does not needto be cork or cork granules, but that another material having similarproperties can be used.

What is claimed is:
 1. A handle for a ski pole comprising: an elongatehandle stem configured and dimensioned to be secured axially to a topportion of a ski pole, said handle stem including a head portionconfigured to accommodate and secure a strap thereto, and a longitudinalportion extending from below the head portion axially along a ski pole,said longitudinal portion having opposed, elongate through slotsextending along at least a portion of the length thereof; and handgripping material secured to said handle stem at a position beginningbelow the head portion of the handle stem and substantially extendingtherefrom along the length of said longitudinal portion, wherein thehand gripping material engages and extends through the slots.
 2. Thehandle according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal portion is dividedinto discrete first and second opposed, solid elongated portionsdelimited by the slots, each portion defining a generally crescentshaped cross-sectional section with a thickness that decreases from acenter portion to opposed end portions thereof.
 3. The handle accordingto claim 1 or 2, wherein the hand gripping material comprises pressedand bonded cork granules.
 4. The handle according to claim 1 or 2,wherein the handle stem includes a rib extending longitudinally fromsaid head portion to said longitudinal portion.
 5. The handle accordingto claim 3, wherein the handle stem includes a rib extendinglongitudinally from said head portion to said longitudinal portion. 6.The handle according to claim 1, further comprising a strap secured tothe head portion of the handle stem.
 7. The handle according to claim 1,wherein said handle includes a rearward side configured to generallyface towards a user using a ski pole with the handle attached theretoand a forward side opposite the rearward side, the slots defined alonglateral sides of the handle stem relative to the forward and rearwardsides.
 8. A handle for a ski pole comprising: an elongate handle stemconfigured and dimensioned to be secured axially to a top portion of aski pole, said handle stem including a head portion configured toaccommodate and secure a strap thereto, and a longitudinal portionextending from below the head portion axially along a ski pole, saidlongitudinal portion having opposed, elongate through slots extendingalong at least a portion of the length thereof; and hand grippingmaterial secured to said handle stem at a position beginning below thehead portion of the handle stem and substantially extending therefromalong the length of said longitudinal portion, wherein the hand grippingmaterial engages and extends through the slots and defines an innerperiphery of the handle such that said hand gripping material isdirectly adjacent to a ski pole when the handle is provided thereon.